8th Grade Class Reunion

A few months ago a former classmate called and said that she, and a couple other classmates were getting together to discuss organizing an 8^th grade class reunion. Yes, that?s right I said 8^th grade. I?d never heard of anyone ever doing this before. Needless to say I was skeptical. But over the next several weeks we continued to talk, set a date and started planning. Still I wasn?t sure about any of this as I started trying to contact the 10 classmates that were on my list.

Some were easy; some had fallen off the face of the earth. But as I talked to each one I grew a little more excited. Then the two main organizers came over to my house a couple of weeks ago to finalize details, and after that, I was hooked on the idea. I was half sick that afternoon, but you would have never known it. I laughed and laughed at those two girls. Reaching way back into the wrinkles and folds of our brains we pulled out memory after memory.

Anyway, last Saturday night was the great event. It was held in the lunchroom of our old elementary school, C.B. Eller Elementary School, Elkin North Carolina. We decorated, and iced down drinks. Set out pictures of when we were in 8^th grade, old annuals, basketball uniforms, and pictures of the three students who had passed away, plus one of our teachers. All was ready, now the wait, would anyone show up?

Slowly one car arrived, then another, and another. It was so funny; we stood at the glass paned windows and asked, ?Who?s that, do you recognize them?? After all it had been 37 years since we?d seen some of them. One after another, the 8^th grade graduates filed in. I?ve never seen so much hugging, and everyone talking at once. All together I think there was twenty classmates, plus spouses, and one very special guest, our favorite 8^th grade teacher, Gayle Anthony. It was a wonderful time of food, fellowship, reminiscing and remembering? and making more memories. We missed the ones who were not there? the ones waiting for us in heaven, and the ones who just didn?t think it was important enough for them to show up.

I am so thankful I caught the spirit of the event and was there. I almost missed it by not being open to the unusual, what a shame that would have been. I know I?ve missed other opportunities by not stepping out of the box. What if I hadn?t ventured from my usual authors, (sorry Sandra Brown and Fern Michaels) I would have missed East of Eden, by John Steinbeck, The Poisonwood Bible by, Barbara Kingsolver, Emma?s Gift, by Leisha Kelly, and Storming Heaven and The Unquiet Earth, by Denise Giardina. Also books by first time authors, The Shack, by WM. Paul Young, and The Help by Kathryn Stockett.

Some pretty cool kids from the Pleasant Ridge, Pleasant Hill, and Benham communities decided to do something a little unusual, and oh what a blessing we received. Thanks for the memories.

Tagged as: Barbara Kingsolver, Benham Community, C.B. Eller Elementary School, Denise Giardina, East of Eden, Elkin, Emma's Gift, Fern Michaels, Gayle Anthony, John Steinbeck, Kathryn Stockett, Leisha Kelly, North Carolina, Pleasant Hill Community., Pleasant Ridge Community, Sandra Brown, Storming Heaven, The Help, The Poisonwood Bible, The Unquiet Earth